Happy Holidays
by Agnes Bean
Summary: A young Sirius has had enough of his family… Please RR…PG for language
1. Home for the Holidays

**Spoilers: **Based off an event that was mentioned in passing in OotP, and it has a little bit of foreshadowing to some things that happens in OotP, but I don't think you'd get it unless you've read the book. 

**Disclaimer: **_Harry Potter_ doesn't belong to me, or a certain event in OotP would certainly NOT have happened. 

**Description: **The events that lead to Sirius running away from home.

**A/N: **Wow, I haven't written and HP fic in awhile! But anyway, I wrote this all before posting, so it's actually FINISHED! *Shock*   Of course, it's really short, so maybe it's not so shocking, but at least it's done ;)  Anyway, feedback (positive and negative, though I would prefer if you didn't flame) is always appreciated.      

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"That sucks!" James declared, tossing the letter he had been examining back to Sirius. 

          "I could figure that out myself, thanks," Sirius snapped back.  James looked slightly hurt, but respected his friend's bad mood. 

          "Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Remus asked.

          "I could not go, but I can't quite afford to be disinherited," Sirius grumbled, picking up the letter that was now lying before him.  His mother's curving writing formed a characteristically short letter:

_Sirius,      _

_You will be coming home for Christmas this year,_

_                                                                        --Your mother_

          "Any idea why?" James asked.

          "None.  She normally likes to keep me as far away as possible."

          "We know,"  his friends chorused.  

          Sirius cursed life and stalked up the stairs to pack.

          ~~~~~~~

          For the first time in his six years at Hogwarts, Sirius found himself leaving with James on the Christmas train, going home for the Holidays.  James was attempting to cheer him up with a story about Snape, but even hearing about his nemesis' humiliation by way of a "T" on the latest Defense Against the Dark Arts test failed to raise his spirits.  

          "I don't fucking get it," he said suddenly.  "Why the hell does she want to see me?"

          James shrugged in defeat, for once he didn't have the answers. Still muttering, Sirius pulled out a book and began to read.  James looked at it curiously.  

          "What do you get out of reading muggle literature?" he asked, in reference to the copy of _1984_ Sirius was holding.

          "It's a symbol of my defiance of everything my mother believes in," Sirius replied, slightly more cheerful.  With a shrug he added  "Plus it's not half bad."

          ~~~~~~~

          Unfortunately, the end of the ride came much too quickly for Sirius's taste, and he found himself saying goodbye to James and hello to his younger brother, Regulus (for whom this trip was a yearly one) in no time at all.  As he walked away from the train towards his mother, who's long dress and fashionable hat were both black, he felt a dread of what the next two weeks had in store for him.  The feeling was even worse than the one he got every summer, he was quite sure his mother had something particularly nasty mind for him if she was willing to suffer his presence for two weeks longer than was absolutely necessary.  

          The ride home (in a car, though his mother hated it there was no other way), did not help to subdue this feeling of dread, if anything it increased it.  Although his mother acted perfectly civil,  asking both him and his brother general questions about school and how classes were going, she and Regulus kept exchanging meaningful glances and Sirius began to think that perhaps his brother had something to do with whatever was going on.  

          Whatever it was, Sirius didn't find out when they got home.  Instead his mother instructed him to go wash up for dinner.  Sirius unhappily complied, family dinners were never fun.  

This one was no different.

          "Did you hear about that _woman_ they appointed as the new head of the department for the disposal of dangerous creatures?" She spat, making it very clear she was not pleased with the appointment.  Eager to please Regulus jumped in immediately:

          "Yes! That disgusting mudblood!  I was shocked!" He said, with a bit too much enthusiasm for Sirius's taste. 

          "Well, I don't think there's anything wrong with her," Sirius cut in, although he really had no idea who they were talking about.  The look on both their faces was one of unrestrained disgust.  

          "When will you _learn_," his mother moaned.  "You really should listen to your brother more.  He's got the right idea, while you, I'm afraid to say, have not." 

          "Of course, perfect Regulus, he's such a good little bigot! Aren't we all so proud of him?" Sirius replied in something like a sarcastic combination of a yell and a growl. He almost knocked over Kreature, who had come in with the food, as he stood, prepared for a fight.

          "Don't you speak to me like that!" His mother yelled back.  Shaking Sirius sat back down, he was too hungry to leave the table without eating first.  The rest of the night passed in silence as both Sirius and his mother sat fuming, while Regulus watched with an amused smile.  


	2. A Parting Shot

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still not mine.

**A/N: **Well, if you've gotten this far, I guess that means it doesn't totally suck ;)  Anyway, please read and review!

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The days were painfully slow.  After the first dinner Sirius was no longer required to eat with the rest of his family, and spent most of his time locked in his room, only coming out when he needed food.  By the time Christmas Eve rolled around Sirius had already finished all his work for Hogwarts,  and was almost done his fifth book.  

This was the night Sirius was dreading the most: he would again be forced to eat dinner with his family, and this time the family would be extended.  He headed downstairs at 6 O'clock, the feeling dread a lump in his stomach, weighing him down. 

            As he entered the living room, he was met by the sound of chatter.  He lurked in the back, hoping to avoid notice. As he looked around he realized he had forgotten how much his mother lacked Christmas spirit.  When compared to the extravagant Hogwarts' decorations he was used to, the few ribbons and one scrawny undecorated tree looked especially pathetic. He sighed, thinking of what it would be like to be at Hogwarts right now: he, Remus and Peter would be happily anticipating the next day, joking about Snape, maybe even sneaking into Hogsmead…His thoughts were interrupted by the voice of an uncle or cousin or something he hadn't seen for years and who's name he didn't remember:

            "That…that can't be Sirius!" The man exclaimed, not quite managing to sound pleased. "We haven't seen you here at Christmas for years." 

            "If it were up to me, you wouldn't be seeing me now," Sirius replied shortly.

            "Oh," the man replied, taken aback. He walked away, but his exclamation had brought attention to Sirius's existence, and Sirius found himself attacked by relatives wanting to know how he was.  He made sure to be rude to every one of them.  Finally most dispersed, but one cousin, Bellatrix, remained.

            "How's Hogwarts treating you?" She asked.

            "Better than my mother," Sirius replied.  To his surprise Bellatrix laughed, it was a cold laugh.  

            "Be careful, that attitude could get you in trouble," she whispered before walking off.  Sirius raised his eyebrows, confused, but he didn't have time to mull over her comment, as dinner was starting.

            For the first hour things went smoothly, as everyone ignored Sirius, which was just fine to him.  But just as the dinner plates were being swept away, the person sitting next to him (Sirius was pretty sure it was a uncle) turned to him and asked, quite pleasantly, what he had been doing with himself over the holiday.

            "Not much. Homework, reading."  Encouraged by Sirius's civil, if short, reply, the uncle continued:

            "What books? Anything I'd have heard of? Anything by that new author…what's his name? Bert something…"

            "No, nothing by him.  I read _1984_, a couple Dickens,  a little Poe…" Sirius said with a smirk.  The table fell silent.

            "But those…those are _muggle _books," the uncle stammered.

            "So?" There was a collective gasp. And then, slowly, her voice icy, his mother said,

            "Sirius, there is something we need to talk about."  Sirius gulped, he quite sure that whatever they were about to talk about was the reason he was home for Christmas. 

            "Here," he asked, trying not to sound nervous "_now_?" 

            "Well, yes…since you've given yourself such a perfect lead in." Sirius inwardly cursed at himself.

            "Well…what?"

            "It's your attitude, and your friends."

            "My friends! What have they got to do with anything? They're all pure blood, if that's what you're worried about."

            "Yes, but they, like you, don't act like a pure-blooded wizard should."

            "Oh, yeah? And how, pray tell, do you know _that_," Sirius said, trying very hard to keep himself from yelling.

            "You're brother has told me things.  For instance, he says your friend, Jordan is it?"

            "James," Sirius muttered, fists clenched.

            "Yes, well, that he is attracted to a mudblood. Now I'm very worried, I think these people are pushing you away from the path of reason," (Sirius noticed most of his relatives seemed to be nodding) "and I would very much like it if, no, I demand that you stop being friends with those people!" At this declaration Sirius lost it. He jumped out of his chair—knocking it over—and began to yell, saying all the things he had longed to say for years:

            "OH YEAH? YOU DEMAND? WELL SCREW THAT, I'M NOT GOING TO! I DON'T _CARE_IF I DON'T FIT YOUR STANDARD OF A GOOD WIZARD! AND DO YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE YOUR STANDARDS _SUCK_!  I DON'T _WANT_ TO BE A DISCRIMINATORY ASS!  AND IF THAT MEANS YOU HATE ME, THAN SO BE IT! BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? _I HATE YOU_!  EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! ESPECIALLY YOU, _MOM_. AND YOU, LITTLE BROTHER.  YOU BE HORRIBLE PEOPLE, I'M NOT PUTTING UP WITH THIS ANYMORE. I'M **_LEAVING!_**" 

            And with this declaration he (as a last parting shot) overturned the table, and admits the screams and shouting, ignoring the strange stare Bellatrix was giving him, quietly walked upstairs, grabbed his things, and walked out of the house he hated, swearing he'd never return. 

THE END

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**A/N:** "The End." I never thought I'd be writing that for a fic ;)  

So, did you love it? Hate it? Well, I can't read your mind, tell me!


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